Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan
Japan: Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children was 1.21 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.21 live births per woman
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
216th
of 236 countries
All-time high
4.61 live births per woman
in 1947
All-time low
1.21 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
77
1947–2023
Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan, 1947–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan is 1.21 live births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 77 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan peaked at 4.61 live births per woman in 1947 and was at its lowest, 1.21 live births per woman, in 2023.
That places Japan 216th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 77 years of available data.
Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 4.61 live births per woman | — |
| 1948 | 4.46 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1949 | 4.37 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1950 | 3.62 live births per woman | -17.3% |
| 1951 | 3.23 live births per woman | -10.8% |
| 1952 | 2.95 live births per woman | -8.6% |
| 1953 | 2.67 live births per woman | -9.3% |
| 1954 | 2.47 live births per woman | -7.7% |
| 1955 | 2.35 live births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1956 | 2.21 live births per woman | -6.1% |
| 1957 | 2.04 live births per woman | -7.7% |
| 1958 | 2.1 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 1959 | 2.04 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1960 | 1.98 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1961 | 1.93 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1962 | 1.93 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.95 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 2 live births per woman | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 2.09 live births per woman | +4.6% |
| 1966 | 1.63 live births per woman | -21.9% |
| 1967 | 2.16 live births per woman | +32.2% |
| 1968 | 2.06 live births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1969 | 2.03 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 2.04 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 2.09 live births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 2.11 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 2.15 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 2.06 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 1.92 live births per woman | -7.0% |
| 1976 | 1.84 live births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1977 | 1.79 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 1.79 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 1.77 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 1.74 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 1.72 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 1.74 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 1.77 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 1.78 live births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.74 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 1.7 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 1.67 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 1.62 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 1.55 live births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 1.51 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.5 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 1.48 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.44 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 1.47 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 1.41 live births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 1.4 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.38 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 1.37 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.34 live births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 1.35 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 1.32 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 1.31 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.28 live births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 1.28 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.25 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 1.28 live births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 1.3 live births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 1.33 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.33 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 1.36 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 1.36 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.38 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.39 live births per woman | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 1.39 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.42 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 1.41 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 1.39 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 1.37 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 1.32 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.3 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 1.27 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 1.26 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.21 live births per woman | -3.8% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.21 live births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5 live births per woman, 80% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1.21 live births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13 live births per woman, 57% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +32.2% | 1.63 live births per woman | 2.16 live births per woman |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 4.48 live births per woman | 4.37 live births per woman | 4.61 live births per woman | 3 |
| 1950s | 2.57 live births per woman | 2.04 live births per woman | 3.62 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.98 live births per woman | 1.63 live births per woman | 2.16 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.96 live births per woman | 1.77 live births per woman | 2.15 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.7 live births per woman | 1.55 live births per woman | 1.78 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.43 live births per woman | 1.34 live births per woman | 1.51 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3 live births per woman | 1.25 live births per woman | 1.35 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.38 live births per woman | 1.32 live births per woman | 1.42 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.26 live births per woman | 1.21 live births per woman | 1.3 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More population data for Japan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 103,784 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.5891 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2372 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 210.83 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.83 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan?
- Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Japan was 1.21 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.61 live births per woman in 1947.
- What is the lowest comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.21 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children?
- Japan ranks 216th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.